


wait for it

by SportsAnimeRuinedMyLife (KnightOfRage)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst and Humor, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Manga Spoilers, chapter 199 spoilers, character injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-25
Updated: 2016-03-25
Packaged: 2018-05-28 23:07:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6349357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KnightOfRage/pseuds/SportsAnimeRuinedMyLife
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"He’s been fighting for this opportunity his whole life. He remembers being told 'no, you’re too small, too weak. You’ll never be good enough, never be tall enough, never be enough period.'" </p>
<p>(Yaku falls. Lev does his best to help him get back up.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	wait for it

Yaku’s ankle hurts.

He tries not to give it any mind as he watches the last moments of the game with baited breath and clenched fists, but the pain is constant, unceasing. He gasps as Kuroo manages to block a vicious spike, but half of his mind is still on his ankle.

It’s _annoying_.

He’s sitting on the bench beside Nekomata, watching as the score ticks higher for both sides, neither one able to get ahead by the necessary two points.

But then Kenma manages a clever play that leaves the other team howling and so they only need one point, one more point…

Yaku’s nails dig into his palms.

“Yes!” Yaku almost jumps to his feet as he watches as Lev, his eyes serious and focused, slams down the ball in a spike that is ace-worthy. “Yes!”

Nekoma’s won.

They’re going to nationals.

Yaku grins despite his injury and gives Kuroo a thumbs up. Kuroo grins right back, flipping the hair out of his face with a casual air that makes Yaku laugh. That was a close game, probably the closest they’ve ever played, and there’s Kuroo acting like it was no big deal. He’s caught between rolling his eyes and smiling, so he just does both.

The team is rowdy as ever and it takes longer than it probably should for them to line up and bow. Yaku would usually be embarrassed, but right now he’s just so proud. Of Kuroo, of Kenma, of Lev...of all of them. They flew higher than anyone thought that they ever would.

“They did it.” He murmurs and beside him, Nekomata smiles.

“You all did it.” He says. “I’m very proud.”

Yaku bites his lip and nods.

His ankle hasn’t stopped hurting, but his anxiety about the game and his pride both feel a lot better.

“We waited for the game to end, like you asked.” Nekomata says, bringing Yaku back to reality. “We need to get you to the hospital, Yaku.”

Yaku frowns. He doesn’t want to go the hospital. He’s willing to admit that, yes, he probably needs to, but he still doesn’t want to.

“I can just wait until tomorrow…” He tries, but the team is gathering around and doesn’t seem to agree.

“Alisa has a car!” Lev pipes up. “We can take him so he doesn’t have to ride the train!”

“No!” Yaku says automatically.

His ankle is throbbing in time with his heart and his lips hurt from how much he’s been biting them to contain both his nerves and his pain. But there is no pain on earth that would make him willing to willingly spend time in a small space with Haiba Lev.

“Yakkun.” Kuroo is sweaty and flushed from the match, his dark hair sticking to his forehead in truly bizarre spikes. “C’mon.”

“Kuroo, I’m fine.” Yaku lies. He is most definitely not fine. He’s actually terrified that his ankle is broken, actually broken. The pain isn’t fading like the pain from a sprain should and it pricks like broken glass whenever he so much as breathes.

Kuroo just stares at him, clear disbelief all over his face. “Don’t be an idiot.” He folds his arms and turns a very captian-y frown on Yaku. “We need you for nationals, don’t we?” A grin threats his captain face, but he keeps it steady. “So let the Haibas drive you to the doctor.”

“But, I…”

“We’ll go get the car!” Alisa smiles at him and she and Lev hurry out of the gym before Yaku can protest any further.

“Wait here, Yaku-kun.” Nekomata pats him on the shoulder. “Lev and his sister will be back soon, I’m sure.”

“Fine, coach.” Yaku caves. Between Nekomata and Kuroo, he’s not getting out of here. He drags a hand through his hair, carefully keeping his ankle still.

Kuroo is frowning at him, worry mixing with his obvious delight at qualifying for nationals. “You need to go get checked out, Yakkun. Captain's orders.”

Yaku wants desperately to disagree, but Kuroo _is_ his captain.

“Fine.” He grumbles, folding his arms and looking away.

“Great.” Kuroo pats his shoulder. “Text me once you know what’s up, yeah?”

Yaku nods and he watches as Kuroo goes to get their team into something like an order. “Don’t kill Lev!” Kuroo shoots over his shoulder and Yaku scoffs. Yaku is not the problem in that relationship. No, wait, relationship is too strong a word. Acquaintanceship. Teammateship?

“I’m serious!” Kuroo calls with a grin. Yaku fights the urge to go kick him, ankle be dammed. Kuroo is annoying when he feels like it.

But, despite that, he’s still a good captain. The best Yaku could have asked for. Kuroo is a someone who Yaku truly believes in. The loyalty that he feels to Kuroo, that they all feel, probably surpasses what is normal the feel for your volleyball captain. It’s an “ _I would follow you into battle no matter what_ ” kind of feeling and Yaku is pretty sure it’s the main reason that they’ve managed to get this far.

Yaku breathes deeply in and out for a moment, clutching the edge of the bench and leaning back just a little. His ankle hurts and he’s so tired. This whole day has been an incredible drain.

Kuroo doubles back to check on him, leaving the team in Kai’s care. “It’ll be okay.” Kuroo says lowly, voice pitched so no one but he and Yaku can hear. “Don’t worry about the team. I’ll handle it. You just worry about yourself.”

“I...yeah.” Yaku looks down at his shoes, trying not to see the massive bruise rapidly darkening the bottom half of his left leg. “Thanks, Kuroo.”

“We wouldn’t have won without you.” Kuroo taps a fist against his chest. “You know that, right?”

“Sure.” Yaku huffs. He’s still pissed at himself for managing to hurt himself during the most important match of the entire year. He put the whole team at risk by being an idiot and trying to do flashy receives.

But, well. They got that point for that one, didn’t they?

And they won the game, didn’t they?

Yaku lets himself believe Kuroo, the captain he trusts, and smiles. “We’re going to _nationals_.” He says. The words don’t seem real.

Kuroo breaks into a grin. “Hell yeah we are.”

They high five and, for a second, Yaku’s ankle barely hurts at all.

**~~~~**

“Can I carry you, Yaku-san?” Lev asks brightly.

Yaku glowers up at him. He’s sweaty and still pink-cheeked from the game.There’s nothing left of the intimidating aura he had on the court. He just looks like Lev; dumb, eager and liable to trip over his own feet at any given moment.

For some reason, it’s a relief.

“Maybe I should carry him?” Alisa suggests, peering over her brother’s shoulder at where Yaku is still sitting on the bench.

Yaku promptly chokes on his own spit.

Alisa is gorgeous.

(Lev is gorgeous too, if he’s being honest, but Lev is also an idiot. So...it kind of nullifies it. Sort of. Sometimes.)

Yaku tries to tell them that no, he’s okay to walk on his own and besides he would rather die than let Lev carry him, but he’s still dealing with the whole spit-choking thing. All that comes out is a strangled sort of “ _Hnnnnnnmmmmphf_.”

Lev is gazing at him with concern clear in his wide green eyes. “Are you okay, Yaku-san?” He puts a hand on both sides of Yaku’s face. Lev’s hands are huge and warm and it doesn’t help Yaku regain his ability to speak. “Why are you making those noises? Oh no, Yaku-san did you hit your head? Do you we need to call an ambulance?”

“I’m fine, Lev!” Yaku feels his face heating up and leans out of Lev’s grip. He snatches his jacket off the bench beside him and throws it on, too embarrassed to argue anymore. “Let’s just go.”

He struggles to his feet with the help of Nekomata and the Haibas. Alisa stands on one side of him and Lev stands on the other and together they help him out to the car like a pair of oversized, attractive Russian crutches.

“Careful now.” Alisa hums as they step off the curb. “Don’t put any weight on it, Yaku-san!”

“I could still carry you, Yaku-san!” Lev offers and Yaku groans, partially because of pain but also because he is now being called _Yaku-san_ in stereo and it’s just too much to handle.

“I’ve got it.” He grits out, grabbing on tightly enough to Lev’s arm that he flinches.

Alisa leaves him leaning on Lev as she darts forward to unlock the car and open the door for Yaku. Lev helps him hobble/hop over and settles him in the passenger set.

The drive to the hospital isn’t long and the Haibas do a good job distracting him with bright chatter about the game, but Yaku’s ankle still throbs. He wants it to just stop hurting.

When they finally pull into the hospital parking lot, Alisa drops them off at the front and goes to find a spot to park. Lev looks imploringly at Yaku.

“Just let me carry you, Yaku-san!” He says. “You’re so small that it won’t be a problem!”

“I swear to god Lev.” Yaku snarls. “I know I can’t walk right now, but I _will_ find a way to kick your ass.”

Lev gasps. “No, Yaku-san, you’ll hurt yourself!”

“No, I’ll hurt you.”

“Yaku-san, I…”

“Um…” The inevitable fight is interrupted by a nurse. “Did you need a wheelchair?”

“Yes!” Yaku shouts, probably way too enthusiastically. “Thank you!”

“S-sure…” She brings one and helps him settle into it. “Do you need me to push it or…”

“I’ve got it!” Lev raises his hand like he was called on in class and Yaku, weary and battleworn, assents with a tired wave of his hand.

Lev steers the wheelchair surprisingly carefully, not skidding around corners or speeding through hallways like Yaku half-expected. He takes them to the check-in desk and is polite and normal and everything. Yaku is almost proud.

They settle in the waiting room and Yaku takes the time to text his parents and let them know what happened. He also updates Kuroo and Nekomata, letting them know he’s at the hospital waiting to get checked out.

“Are you okay, Yaku-san?” Lev reads his texts without trying to pretend he isn’t and Yaku has to at least appreciate his candor.

Yaku shrugs before turning off his phone and sliding it back into his pocket. “I dunno yet.” He sighs and Lev seems to be okay with that answer for now.

Alisa meets them a few minutes later, apologizing profusely. “Sorry!” She says as she settles down into a chair beside Lev. “The parking lot was pretty much full. It took forever to find a spot!” She looks down at Yaku. “How are you doing Yaku-san? Any better?”

“I, um, I’m okay.” He stammers.

Lev pouts at him. “I know my sister is pretty, Yaku-san.” He says, “But you don’t have to act like such a moron around her!”

“W-what, I don’t...who even...what?” Yaku splutters. His ankle hurts a lot and he’s very tired. He thinks that he can be forgiven for not exactly being on top of his game.

“Don’t worry, Lev~” Alisa laughs. “You don’t need to be jealous.”

Lev just continues to pout, watching Yaku out of the corner of his eye. Their conversation is stilted and kind of awkward for the rest of their wait. When a nurse finally comes out to wheel Yaku back, Alisa stays in the waiting room. She waves them off with a smile.

“Text me if you need anything, boys!” She says brightly. “Good luck!”

Yaku waves weakly back.

The walk to the examination room seems longer than it should. They wheel him down a long, white hallway and he ankle throbs. Bizarrely, he wants to touch Lev somehow, to remind himself that he’s not alone. His fingers itch with the sudden desire to grab Lev’s hand.

But that’s a stupid urge. He keeps his hands folded on his lap where they belong and doesn’t look at Lev walking beside him.

“Here we are.” The nurse open the door to an exam room. She asks him a few basic questions and a few more about how the injury happened. He answers them with clipped words and assures Lev he’ll be fine as she takes him to get a few x-rays done. It hurts like hell when they make him rotate his ankle to different positions, but soon enough they’re on their way back to the exam room.Yaku the nurse help him from his wheelchair to the exam table. “The doctor will be with you shortly.” She says before leaving.

Yaku breathes deep and flops back onto the table. Lev sits in a chair in the corner, uncharacteristically quiet.

After a few silent minutes, he speaks.

“This is all my fault.”

“Huh?” Yaku blinks.

“If I…” Lev’s voice is thick and he won’t meet Yaku’s eyes. “If I was better at receives then you wouldn’t…”

“ _Lev_ …” Yaku sighs in exasperation.

“I’m sorry!” Lev is trying to hide his face and, oh god, is he crying?

“Lev, c’mon...it’s okay.” Yaku is completely at a loss. How is he the one comforting someone? He’s the one who's hurt.

“I just thought that you would always get it no matter what I did.” Lev is wiping his eyes a palm, voice distinctly strangled. “I never thought that you would get hurt, Yaku-san.”

“Aw, Lev…” Yaku is kind of panicked right now. He’s never seen Lev like this. Usually, he’s alarmingly upbeat. “I should have been more careful with that receive in the first place. It was in a bad spot…”

“B-b-but it wouldn’t have happened if I was b-b-better at receives.” Lev is visibly holding back tears. “So it’s my fault that you’re h-hurt.”

“We can’t change it, Lev.” Yaku sighs. “We still won, we’re still going to nationals. So, calm down.”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be. And don’t cry! God…”

“Sorry, Yaku-san.

“Stop saying that!

“Sor…”

“I’ll punch you in the head if you say sorry again.”

Luckily, the doctor comes in before Yaku has to make good on his threat. She’s frowning at the x-rays she’s holding in her hand and Yaku feels his stomach drop. He really doesn’t want there to be anything frown-worthy going on in his foot.

“You’re Yaku Morisuke?” She asks him, peering at him over her glasses.

“Yes.” He nods. “That’s me.”

She sets up the x-rays on a lightboard in the corner and turns to Yaku. “May I?” She asks, gesturing to his bruised ankle. He nods, extending it the best he can.

“Ah, yes.” She presses on it lightly and he hisses in pain. “Sorry.” She sighs, carefully settling his ankle back against the table. He winces, the broken-glass sensation setting in again.

“So?” He asks. “Is it broken?”

She nods and he feels his stomach drop.

“You have a lateral malleolus fracture, I’m afraid.” She switches on the lightboard and even Yaku’s untrained eye can see the two clean breaks that really should not be there. “Here and here.” She points at them. “It’s clean, so you won’t need surgery, but you will need a cast and to stay off of it for six to eight weeks.”

Six to eight weeks...

Nekoma is playing at nationals.

But Yaku...Yaku isn’t.

He nods numbly when the doctor says something about going to get the materials to cast his leg. He stares at the door after she leaves. The only thing he can hear is his heartbeat, pounding like a drum in his ears.

He wants to curl up into a ball, but he can’t even move because of his stupid ankle. He tries to contain himself, tries to be calm, but he just can’t. He starts to cry in earnest, keeping his lips pressed together in a thin line and feeling thankful that Alisa isn’t here to see his breakdown.

Lev, in a very rare moment of tact, doesn’t say anything.

Yaku sits there, hands curled around the edge of the exam table, and cries silently. Lev comes over to sit on the exam table beside him and they sit together, not touching, as Yaku tries to fight tears that won’t stop coming.

He’s been fighting for this opportunity his whole life. He remembers being told “no, you’re too small, too weak. You’ll never be good enough, never be tall enough, never be _enough_ period.”

Waiting for his growth spurt and never getting it. Finally accepting that he’d never be able to fly, but learning that there were other ways for him to fight. Waiting to be good enough. Waiting to finally stand on that stage...

All of that time he spent just _waiting_ for nationals and now he’ll never...

“Dammit.” He hisses, hands balling into fists. “I...god...dammit.”

“I’m sorry this happened, Yaku-san.” Lev’s voice is hushed, like he’s making a deliberate effort not to be too loud. “It’s not fair.”

Yaku bites his bottom lip and shakes his head. That’s all there is to say, really. This _isn’t_ fair.

For a long moment, Yaku breathes deep and tries to get himself under control again. The room is quite aside from his hiccuping breaths and the rhythmic sound of Lev’s fingers tapping against the exam table.

Then, he feels the slightest pressure against his fingertips. He looks down to see that Lev’s moved his hand so that their fingertips carefully, deliberately overlap. His whole face suddenly feels like it’s on fire.

“Lev?” He mumbles, looking at him sidelong.

“Yaku-san, I, um…”

The door swings open before Lev says anything else and Yaku yanks his hand back like Lev’s has suddenly grown hot to the touch.

It’s the doctor, her eyes on a chart. Yaku places his hands carefully in his lap and doesn’t look over at Lev.

The doctor looks up and doesn’t say anything about his wet face, red eyes and obvious sniffling. “Are your parents able to pick you up, Yaku-kun?” She asks instead.

Yaku shakes his head. He texted them both, but his parents both work ten hour days in the heart of the city. It’s rare he sees them most days, let alone has an actual conversation. It doesn’t particularly bother him, but he knows that they won’t check their messages from him until they get off.

“It’s okay.” Lev says. “He’s going to come and stay at my house!”

Yaku is so angry he forgets to be sad. “Lev _no_!”

“We can take of you Yaku-san, don’t worry!” Lev pats him on the shoulder.

“No, Lev. I am going back home to my apartment. Alone.”

“But, Yaku-saaan…”

“I wouldn’t recommend that, Yaku-kun.” The doctor ignores Lev and his whining. Yaku approves. Ignoring Lev is always a solid decision. “You’ll likely have trouble moving by yourself and with the pain medication we’re going to give you…”

“So you should just come home with me and Alisa!”

“Shut up, Lev!” Yaku glowers at him.

“Please, Yaku-san?”

He’s honestly too tired and too heartsick to argue anymore.

“Fine.”

They cast his leg, prescribe him painkillers and get him outfitted with a set of crutches. Lev wastes no time in pointing out they’re children’s crutches. Yaku wastes no time in hitting him in the face with one of them.

When they’re finally on their way out, it’s dark outside.

“I’m sorry, Yaku-san.” Lev is more subdued than Yaku has ever seen him as they make their slow, hobbling way to the entrance.

Yaku sighs and knocks his shoulder against Lev’s. “I told you already, idiot. It isn’t your fault.”

“I’m still sorry.”

They’re quiet as they wait for Alisa to bring the car up. Yaku is dead-tired, thanks to a combination of post-game fatigue and painkillers. He’d usually be too proud, but he today he doesn’t give it a second thought before leaning heavily against Lev.

“You’re warm.” He mumbles.

“Y-yaku-san?” Lev stammers in alarm. “What are you doing?”

“M’tired.” Yaku yawns. “Lemme lean.” He grasps at Lev’s arm and clutches it, glad to have contact after all the time being tense and scared in the hospital. His crutches are loose under his arms, in danger of falling.

“O-okay, Yaku-san.” Lev relaxes a bit, eventually pulling his arm away from Yaku so he can wrap it around his shoulder. Yaku hums in appreciation. Lev is always so warm.

He’s vaguely aware of being helped into a car and then of being pulled back out and carried to a bed by warm arms. But for the most part everything is blurry and warm and then just black.

If a relief, he thinks. For just a little while, everything is numb.

~~~~

Yaku wakes up on a strange futon with no idea how he got there.

“Wha?” He clambers into a sitting position, forgetting about his cast until he tries to fold his legs and it knocks him in the chin. “Shit!”

“Yaku-san?” A familiar, piping voice makes him peer around. “Are you awake?”

“Lev?” Yaku feels around hazily for his phone. “S’that you? Where am I?”

“Do you, uh, remember yesterday?”

It hits him like a particularly vicious serve. The match, the receive gone wrong, his ankle... _nationals_ …

“Yeah.” He says quietly. “I remember.”

“Okay.” Lev hands him his phone. Yaku scrolls through, looking at texts from everyone from his parents to his teammates. He texted Kuroo and his mom at the hospital last night, letting them know what had happened and apparently they got the word around.

Ugh. He flops back on the futon. It smells like Lev’s fabric softener and that’s more comforting than Yaku would ever admit. He can feel Lev’s eyes on him as he lays there.

They’re probably really late for school already. He flops back onto the futon, the movement sending little ripples of pain down his leg. He can see the bruise peeking from the top of the cast.

He’s not wearing pants. He’s just in his boxers and...

“Is this your shirt?” He asks, looking down at the massive tent of cloth that he is currently wearing.

“You only had your volleyball stuff and your school uniform in your bag!” Lev says, sounding strangely defensive.

“You... _dressed_ _me_?” Yaku cracks his eyes open and looks over at Lev. He’s sitting up on his futon, cheeks blotchy and pink.

“You were asleep!” Lev shouts.

Yaku throws a pillow at his head. It hits with a very satisfying _omphf_.

“Um...Yaku-san?” Lev’s cautious voice comes after a few long minutes of silence.

“What, Lev?” Yaku sighs. He doesn’t want to talk. He just wants to sleep.

“Are you...okay?”

Yaku considers the question. His team made nationals yesterday, but his leg is broken. He won’t be able to play the rest of the season. He’s a third year too. There’s no more chances for him.

“I don’t know.” He decides aloud.

“Okay.” Lev says. There’s a beat of quiet and Yaku is silently thankful Lev doesn’t push any further. “We should get ready for school.”

“Yeah.” Yaku forces himself to sit back up. “Okay.”

~~~~

A few days later, Yaku is walking out of his building to go get snacks from the store. He’s gotten pretty good at using his crutches, both as assistance for walking and as ways to discipline lazy first years at practice.

A man with slick hair and slicker sunglasses is waiting by the door. Yaku doesn’t think much of it until the man falls into step beside him, sliding up his sunglasses so he can look Yaku in the eye.

“My name is Hoshi Takumi.” He smiles, all teeth.

“Nice to meet you?” Yaku doesn’t mean for it to come out like a question, but it does. He’s not sure who this guy is or what he could possibly want.

Hoshi laughs loudly at his confusion. “You’re Yaku Morisuke, right? The libero for Nekoma’s volleyball team?” Yaku nods and the man pulls out a business card. “I saw your match last week. Terrible shame about your ankle, but still. It was a game well played.”

“Thank you.” Yaku takes the man’s card with difficulty, balancing himself awkwardly on his crutches. “Uh, sorry.” He mumbles, looking down at the card. “You’re from… _Tsubaka_?” He looks up at the man with wide eyes. “What do you want with me?”

Hoshi grins wider. “I’m the recruiter for Tsubaka University’s volleyball team, Yaku-san. And I think that we could use someone like you on our team.”

For a minute, the world seems to go white. Never, ever did Yaku once imagine that he would be scouted. He’s a good libero, sure, and a competent player, but wishing for something like this had always seemed impossible. Too much to hope for.

“But my ankle…” His lips feel numb.

“Won’t be broken forever.” Hoshi’s smile is less wide now and more real. “I’ve recruited players like you before. In fact, one of my top recruits in your year is a setter with a bum knee.” He puts a hand on Yaku’s shoulder. “Don’t decide anything now. But if you’re interested in Tsubaka, well…” He leans away from Yaku, puts his hands in his pockets and grins. “We’re interested in you.”

“Thank you sir.” Yaku clutches the business card tight, like something precious. “I...I don’t know what to say.”

“Yes, hopefully.” He laughs at his own joke. “But, seriously. Call my office, set up an appointment. We’ll give you a tour of the campus and see about getting you in for a few practices once your ankle is all fixed up.”

“Yes!” Yaku bows as best he can with his crutches. “Thank you!”

Hoshi smiles. “Thank you, Yaku-san.” He slides on his pair of sunglasses. “I hope to be hearing from you soon.”

Yaku watches him walk away, hands shaking just a bit.

Was he really just... _scouted_?

He has loved volleyball his whole life. From the moment that he picked up a ball, he has loved it. There was never any reason for him to love it, he just _did_. All of it, with his whole heart. There aren’t many people who get that, but he knows one who does.

So before he even dials his parents, he calls his captain.

“Kuroo?” His voice shakes just like his hand. “You there?”

“Oh, hey Yakkun.” Kuroo hums. “What’s up? You never call me.” Yaku can hear the low hum of a tv in the background. He’s willing to bet that Kuroo is playing video games with Kenma, like he is practically every weekend.

“I just...something just happened. And I...fuck. Kuroo.” Yaku has to stop and breathe. His heart is beating so hard in his chest that it hurts.

“Yaku?” Kuroo sounds worried. Yaku hears the Kenma’s voice in the background, probably asking what’s wrong. “Shh, hold on I’m trying to find out.” Kuroo hisses, probably to Kenma, before talking to Yaku again. “What’s wrong, Yakkun? Do I need to come pick you up or something?”

“I got scouted.”

For a minute, there’s quite. Then,

“Holy fuck, that’s _awesome_!” Yaku can hear the smile in his voice. “Which university? Nippon? Oh, was it Chuo? They’ve won the All-Japan for the last two years.”

“Tsubaka.” Yaku says, leaning back against the wall and smiling at nothing. “I’m going to call them back tomorrow, set up a time to go tour the campus.”

“Nice!” Kuroo sounds actually, genuinely delighted for him and it makes Yaku feel warm all over. Kuroo has been his teammate since their first year. They’ve trained, worked, played side-by-side for years now. Yaku is sure that he’ll never have another captain quite like Kuroo Tetsurou, even at Tsubaka. “Hopefully, you’ll play me sometime.”

“You’ve got your eye on Chuo, right?” Yaku vaguely remembers Kuroo mentioning their law program a while back. Kuroo is annoyingly smart. Yaku has faith he can get in pretty much anywhere.

“Yep.” Kuroo hums his agreement. “I’m looking at a few others, but that’s my top pick.”

“Well, don’t cry when my team beats you.”

“Hey, come on!” Kuroo squawks. “I haven’t cried after a match in, like, two years!”

Yaku does not believe him. He distinctly remembers some crying after they lost their last match last year. “But, yeah. I just wanted to tell you about getting scouted.”

“Yaku. I’m proud of you.” Kuroo’s voice is disgustingly sincere. “You deserve it.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Yaku is glad Kuroo isn’t there to see him smile. “Thank you, Captain.”

 

**~~~~**

He tells the rest of the team about getting scouted the next day at practice. They’re all getting ready for nationals and even if Yaku can’t play, he can sure as hell scare some first years into not skipping out on drills.

They all jump on him (still mindful of his ankle) and tell him they’re proud and remind him to visit. Kai actually starts crying and, as the team rags him, Yaku suddenly realizes that Lev hasn’t glomped him the way he expected.

“Lev?” He looks over to see Lev standing a little ways away, a smile on his lips that doesn’t meet his eyes. “What are you doing way over there?”

“I’m so happy for you, Yaku-san.” Lev ignores his question. “But I guess you’re so good that you’d have to get scouted!”

Yaku laughs awkwardly. “I guess.” He leans heavily on his crutches. “Why do you look so upset about it, though?” It’s kind of a weird question to ask, but Yaku has learned that direct is always best with Lev. “If it’s something stupid like you being _jealous_ …”

“No! No...I know that I should be happy. And I am!” Lev nods like he’s convincing himself. “But...you’re leaving.” Lev’s voice drops to a mumble, hushed in the way it only is when he’s making an effort to be quiet.

“Uh, yeah.” Yaku feels suddenly, inexplicably awkward. “I am.”

Lev’s frown deepens. “I don’t want you to leave.”

“I was always leaving, Lev.” Yaku reminds him. “I’m a third year. I’ve got to graduate.”

“Yeah, but…” Lev folds his arms and doesn’t look at him. “Tsubaka isn’t in Tokyo. I kinda hoped that you would…” He shrugs. “You know. Be close.”

Yaku bites his lip. They’ve done a good job not talking about the weird...whateverness between them. But after the match and the hospital and Lev’s house, Yaku kind of feels like they don’t really need to.

Lev is important to him. And, from the way that Lev is looking at him, he’s willing to bet the feeling goes both ways.

If they’ve got that, the rest can wait.

“Lev…” Yaku glances back at the team. They’re still busy harassing Kai. “Me leaving...that doesn’t change things between us.”

“It does, though!” Lev protests. “You’ll be so far and I won’t get to see you all the time and you won’t yell at me like normal and I…” He breaks off with a frustrated noise. “I don’t want things to change.”

“Things have already changed, Lev.” Yaku knocks him in the shin with a crutch. “If they hadn’t, you’d still be on the bench and we wouldn’t have made it to nationals.”

Lev doesn’t say anything, but look at him with intent eyes.

Yaku keeps going, feeling horribly embarrassed. “And you and me…” He trails off with an awkward cough. “You get what I’m saying. Things change. And they’ll keep changing. We can’t stop it.”

“I guess.” There’s a beat. “It’ll only be two years before I graduate, right? Once I do, I’ll just follow you to Tsubaka!” Lev’s voice is bright, excited.

“Lev, that’s kind of weird.” Yaku says. Lev’s face falls.

“It’s okay.” Yaku blurts out without thinking about it. “I like weird.”

_I like you_. He doesn’t say it, but from the expression on Lev’s face, he hears it anyway. “Yaku-san!” Lev grins and it’s close to blinding.

Yaku’s ankle doesn’t even hurt.

Lev leans down and kisses him once on the cheek, gentle and warm.

Nothing does.

**Author's Note:**

> gotta love more excuses to write about all of my yakulev and nekoma feelings~ 
> 
> i love my precious tiny child and his large idiot boyfriend


End file.
